In March 2019, I wrote about the Ethics in Forensic Genealogy. I indicated that while there was room for joy, because we would be able to solve old crimes, that there was also room for concern. In part 2, I’d like to highlight some of those concerns. Forensic Genealogy is not just instrumental in catching […]
Forensics
DNA profile breach
From TechCrunch: “GEDmatch, the DNA analysis site that police used to catch the so-called Golden State Killer, was pulled briefly offline on Sunday while its parent company investigated how its users’ DNA profile data apparently became available to law enforcement searches. The company confirmed Wednesday that the permissions change was caused by a breach.” GEDmatch […]
Detecting DNA
In the post I wrote about Gina Renee Hall, I mentioned that her sister Diane “was introduced to Dr. Arpad Vass, a forensic anthropologist who had invented an instrument to detect DNA buried beneath the surface. Since then, Gina’s remains have been discovered across eight locations throughout the New River Valley using that device.” Vass’ website states that […]
Gina Renee Hall partial remains found
Gina Renee Hall went missing on June 28, 1980. She was a freshman at Radford University, Radford, Virginia. After a night out in Blacksburg, she left with Stephen Epperly, a former Virginia Tech football player. Epperly was ultimately charged with Hall’s murder and “became the first person in Virginia — and only the fourth in […]
Justice for Cheri Domingo and Greg Sanchez
Justice at last. On June 29, 2020 at 130pm EST, we heard Joseph James DeAngelo Jr., a.k.a. the Golden State Killer plead guilty to the murders of Cheri Domingo and Greg Sanchez. Today, DeAngelo Jr is pleading guilty to a string or murders, rapes, robberies, and other crimes that were committed from the mid-70s to […]
Is the use of genetic testing constitutional?
Genetic testing is what finally brought the case of Michelle Marie Martinko in court. Jerry Lynn Burns (66) was found guilty of Michelle’s 1979 murder based on genetic testing of DNA. He is awaiting his sentencing hearing. It will be the mandatory life sentence. In the meantime, his attorney, Leon Spies, is working on the […]
Zeigler: moral right denied
The Tampa Bay Times reports that the Florida State Attorney Aramis Ayala has rejected the appeal made on behalf of William Thomas Zeigler to have his pre-trial evidence from the 70s tested with modern DNA technology. Ayala denied this request “even though her conviction integrity unit urged her in April to grant it, saying it […]
Remembering Gwen Vivian Miller
Gwen Vivian Miller (Nov 4, 1907 – Feb 29, 1968) was murdered inside her home in Rapid City, South Dakota. She was 60 years old. She never married and had no children. Gwen worked as a hospital pharmacist at the Bennett-Clarkson Memorial Hospital (now Rapid City Regional) in Rapid City. Her colleagues went to her […]